In a remarkable NFL coaching career that spanned from Kennedy to Clinton, Don Shula managed to lose 156 regular-season games in his record-breaking 33-year run on the sideline. The most telling statistic that illustrates his success and explains his longevity? Only eight times during his memorable multi-decade run did his teams suffer through a losing streak of at least three games, or roughly once every four years on average.

Shula never experienced even a three-game losing skid with the Baltimore Colts from 1963-69, and his Miami Dolphins had just one three-game slump in his first five years in South Florida. That's 12 seasons, one three-game losing streak. The Dolphins would go on to experience five more three-gamers in his final 21 seasons, and even uncharacteristically dropped five in a row on two occasions. But that's it. Eight legitimate losing streaks in 33 seasons.

Did he have great quarterbacks for the majority of those years? You bet he did. Unitas, Griese and Marino are all Hall of Fame names. But Shula also had an extraordinary ability to fix problems and make corrections midseason, rarely letting his team's little flaws grow into a big, season-killing crisis. Bar none, that's the most vital part of a head coach's skill set, because when things go wrong and the sky starts falling, that's when they really earn their money. Or should anyway.

Which brings us to Gary Kubiak. The beleaguered Houston head coach is still in the first half of his eighth season with the Texans. But he's currently working on his ninth career losing streak of at least three games, with two-time defending AFC South champion Houston (2-4) dropping its past four games after a mirage-like 2-0 start to the season.

Let that sink in for a moment. In less than seven and a half seasons, Kubiak has already caught and passed Shula, at least in that one dubious distinction. In a fraction of the time, his Texans have already endured more prolonged slumps than Shula's teams did in three-plus decades. That's not a statistical milestone likely to be churned out in the pregame notes by Houston's public relations staff, but it's part of his record and it speaks volumes about what I think is the Texans' biggest underlying problem.

Kubiak's team is free-falling and he doesn't know where the cord is to pull the chute. Logic tells us a soft landing isn't likely.

NFL Films did one of their "A Football Life" episodes on Shula this season. It was AMAZING.

I've always respected him, but never knew some of the details. He NEVER had a losing season in 33 years as a head coach in the NFL. That one blew my mind. (edit: just looked at wiki, and it says he had two losing seasons. NFL Films got that one wrong, but still very impressive record!)

I know Bob McNair wanted Kubiak to be his Tom Landry or Don Shula. And I cannot blame the man for trying.

But you cannot will a coach to greatness. They either posses the potential or they don't.

Kubiak gives me a Norv Turner vibe. Great coordinator, and competent enough to put together teams that can make playoff runs. But by the same token, they do not seem to have that so-called "it factor" that inspires teams to do great things.

__________________"Football is only a diversion." ~ Houston Texans, Inc.

Hopefully Bob reads that article. I've never seen a coach get less out of this much talent, with the possible exception of Jim Schwartz(who managed to take 12-4 talent to 4-12 last year.)

That is extremely hyperbolic. He hasn't been overflowing with talent until the last couple years- at which time, they won back to back division titles and two playoff games. That doesn't make him Lombardi, but it also doesn't put him at the bottom of the head coaching list. Let's see how the season plays out. Certainly, he should be held accountable if he can't get this team into the playoffs. This team does have a lot of talent... Not only that but it is primarily his offensive system/side of the ball that is costing the team these games.

Solomon pointed out Kubiak's losing streaks in an article earlier this week. He compared Kubes to Belichek. In 14 years Belichek has had 3 3 game losing streaks, 2 of which were in his first year. I realize Belichek is the best coach in the league but Kubes isn't anywhere close at this point. I was in favor of keeping him several years ago, hoping he would grow as a coach but I just don't see it. I really like Kubiak, but I think ultimately he'll end up like Capers, a great coordinator and mediocre HC.

Solomon pointed out Kubiak's losing streaks in an article earlier this week. He compared Kubes to Belichek. In 14 years Belichek has had 3 3 game losing streaks, 2 of which were in his first year. I realize Belichek is the best coach in the league but Kubes isn't anywhere close at this point. I was in favor of keeping him several years ago, hoping he would grow as a coach but I just don't see it. I really like Kubiak, but I think ultimately he'll end up like Capers, a great coordinator and mediocre HC.

I count three in his first season alone. Solomon never one to mix too many facts into his blog posts.

__________________
"If Matt is on this team next year I wont be supporting the team ... cant support ignorance."
- ckhouston, 13.01.13

I know Bob McNair wanted Kubiak to be his Tom Landry or Don Shula. And I cannot blame the man for trying.

But you cannot will a coach to greatness. They either posses the potential or they don't.

Kubiak takes a business like approach to running the whole organization. In a business, not only do you have to find the right people, but you've got to develop them as well. I'm sure it's that approach that endeared Kubiak to Bob's heart. Because it's something he understands, something he's done.

Kubiak built this organization on that model & looking on the past two seasons I'm sure Bob thinks it worked.

However, there are some differences between a football team & a Fortune 500 company. For one, Wall Street only wants to see improvement year over year. Beating estimates by $0.05 boosts investor confidence, & why not, you've got all the time in the world.

Football... you don't get that long. Careers are much shorter & finding that perfect mix of talent, chemistry, coaching needed to achieve that singular goal is difficult when you're dealing with free agency & the scavenging of coaching talent once you've demonstrated success. So when you get it right, you've got to take your shot.

This team needs to evolve, we're past expansion team, way past it. & they need to take that next step & stop acting like one. Not only the field, but from the very top all the way down. McNair's got to expect more than incremental improvement, Gary's got to demand the best from his staff & if they aren't able to deliver, he's got to find someone who can & Rick's got to get that salary cap thing figured out & figure out the trade thing & FA thing.

I may have misquoted. It looks like he had 2 4 game losing streaks in 2000, but they won the SB the next year.

When you factor our record against playoff teams (not so good), our record in nationally televised games (not so good) and the losing streaks mentioned above and I think it's time for us to move on. I really like Kubes and want him to succeed but as I mentioned earlier I think he'll end up being a strong OC and a mediocre HC. Sucks for us

While I agree with the overall sentiment of the article, I think it's unfair to compare coaches from the 60's, 70's, and 80's to present day coaches.

Salary cap and revenue sharing are the great equalizer, and it's more difficult to stay great, or even good, for extended periods of time in present day NFL.

During the 8-8, 9-7, and 6-10 seasons, the incremental improvement, baby step, build the "right way" (haha) approach was praised by Kubiak's supporters. They claimed that was how Landry, Noll, Cowher and other legends did it, and it guaranteed a decade of playoff appearances for the Texans once that milestone was reached. We just had to be patient so Kubiak could add his name to the coaching legends list.

The argument that the league had changed as you describe above, as well as the need for faster progress, was not received well.

Therefore I find your post ironic.

__________________Amy glances out the window; her hair, skin, and clothes take on a pronounced reddish tinge from Doppler effect as she drops out of the conversation at relativistic velocity. - Cryptonomicon

That is extremely hyperbolic. He hasn't been overflowing with talent until the last couple years- at which time, they won back to back division titles and two playoff games. That doesn't make him Lombardi, but it also doesn't put him at the bottom of the head coaching list. Let's see how the season plays out. Certainly, he should be held accountable if he can't get this team into the playoffs. This team does have a lot of talent... Not only that but it is primarily his offensive system/side of the ball that is costing the team these games.

What team have you been watching?

__________________
“Of course, if one ignores contradictory observations, one can claim to have an ‘elegant’ or ‘robust’ theory. But it isn’t science.”
— Halton Arp

During the 8-8, 9-7, and 6-10 seasons, the incremental improvement, baby step, build the "right way" (haha) approach was praised by Kubiak's supporters. They claimed that was how Landry, Noll, Cowher and other legends did it, and it guaranteed a decade of playoff appearances for the Texans once that milestone was reached. We just had to be patient so Kubiak could add his name to the coaching legends list.
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Kubiak and Wade + Rick did changed this team from losing to winning team. However, just winning is not enough anymore. We need a team that compete for SB. I think this start from replacing QB that can leads us to SB or at least competing for it.